Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1887-03-03

the cellar uoor was seeuIely pdulocheu,
while the rusty condition Of the hasp
showed that it could not recently have
been opened The high wall that
bounded the other side Of the yard
precluded the idea of the prisoner be-
ing able to scale it so We stood for a
moment, out of breath with excite
ment and our recent chase, perfectly
perplexed with Scales unaccountable
disappearance. Williams, at this
juncture, began ominously to unite
his packet of cartridges, and placed
them loose in his ball bag ready for
use, in the eventuality of the fugitive,
should we come across him, declining
to surrender when ordered. Know.
ing the determined character of my
comrade, l knew that Scales life, if
he proved obdurate, would not be
worth pins fee.
We searched the yard thoroughly,
but found no signs Of our man. All
the cellar doors like the first we ex-
amined, were closed. The warehouses
referred to were principally used for
the storage of grain; but owing to the
war in progress, trade was interrupted
with the Prussian towns in the Baltic,
and little business being transacted,
the buildings had in consequence been
shut up. At last light seemed to
break upon the policeman, who ex-
claimed: I'm blessed, sergeant, if |
don't think the cove WASH t slowed in
one Of the drayman's barrels T.
This idea seemed to explain Scales
mysterious disappearance SO we
started in the direction of the main
road, and turning towards the town,
found the drayman unloading barrels
at the door of a public house. The
man, with volleys of the choicest
Billingsgate, stoutly denied that he
had afforded shelter to the fugitive;
80, perceiving that it was useless vast
ing words on him, we again pursued
our search, scarcely knowing in what
direction to turn.
was now in terrible quandary.
Trial by court martial and redut zion to
the ranks together with a possible sem
tence of imprisonment for allowing
the man to escape, stared me in the
face, while imprisonment for Williams
was a certainty. My chances of adj
vancement in the service would be
absolutely ruined, | reflected, if | did
not recapture the man, so | resolved,
when | had 80 much at stake, to con-
tinue the search, although | looked
for him all night, 1t was no use
hunting for Scales in the principal
streets of the town, as these were pa
troed by military police, intent on
experimenting soldiers who showed the
slightest symptom of having had an
extra allowance of liquor; besides
being ruthlessly down on delinquents
who had a tunic button undone, or
the chin strap not adjusted in the reg
ulation position.
While I was mentally shaping out
course of action, my companion
stopped and excitedly exclaimed II
have it now, sergeant III bet 10 to ]
he's gone to old Nathan'sp
"I'm not sure of that | remarked
obviously "but at all events We'll go
and see"
Nathan was rascally old Jew, who,
though he was vigorously kept out Of
barracks, carried on with the soldiers
a brisk business in the sale Of coaree,
rank, contraband tobacco. He had
"agents" in the different regiments to
further this branch Of commerce and
one Of his accredited representatives
in ours was Private Scales. Besides,
the old rascal, although it had never
been brought home to him, was sus'
pected Of purchasing articles Of exit
from ne'er do wells, and supplying
ragged plain clothes to deserters in
exchange for their uniforms. We lost
no time in making our way to the
squalid alley in the slums near the
harbor where the business establish
ment Of Mr.. Nathan was located +; and
when we reached the Jew 8 dirty little
hucksters shop we found him weigh
ing out small quantity of condiment
resembling tafee to couple Of primy
children. Pausing until the juvenile
customers had left the shop, | asked
Nathan whether that afternoon he had
received visit from Mr.. Scales.
mo, sergeant; no soldier has been
here" replied the Jew, who then con.
tinued in an undertone: "Can / do
business with you in some good to
bacco?'
[ naid no heed 10 the old Israeliie'a